Saturday, February 12, 2011

the vampire king of kensington

It was a serene winter Friday afternoon. Bellevue Square Park was quiet, perhaps the quietest I've ever seen. Perhaps it was due to my visit happening on a workday. Maybe regular visitors were seeking refuge from the snowy landscape in one of Kensington Market's shops and eateries.

Or maybe people were afraid of the recent change in one of the park's landmarks.

At first it was the odd bird or two found drained of all of their blood. Then larger urban animals were discovered in the same state. You might think a raccoon is a nuisance, but nobody wants to see one, or any other creature, drained of their life fluids for no apparent reason.

All of the deceased animals were found within the immediate vicinity of the Al Waxman statue on the west side of the park. Was there a secret ritual going on at night under the noses of the residents around the square?

It was after the third report of foul play that investigators noticed something odd about the statue's head. They noticed a thin stream of what appeared to be dried paint applied in a manner similar to blood dripping from the lips. A sample was sent to a lab, which discovered the shocking truth.

The stream wasn't paint.

The investigators went back to the crime scene. One swore he noticed that the statue's smile seemed more malevolent...but maybe he'd been up for too long working on the case. He returned that night determined to see what really went on after dark.

The red glow from the statue's eyes was the last thing he ever saw.

Top photo taken January 28, 2011. Bottom photo taken August 2, 2007. - JB